Free things to do in London
London is one of the few great cities where you can fill a whole day with world-class culture and spend nothing at all. The permanent collections of the British Museum, the National Gallery, Tate Britain, Tate Modern, the V&A, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum are all free, and they are only the beginning.
This page pulls together the free events on across London this week — exhibitions, talks, live music, family activities and outdoor happenings — so you can plan a great day out without a ticket. We show each event's venue and neighbourhood, its dates and any need to reserve a free slot in advance, which some of the most popular free exhibitions now ask for.
Browse everything free on below, and follow any listing through for full details. It's proof that the best things in London really can be free.
Free this week
British Wildlife Photography Awards - FREE!
17/07/2026 - 21/02/2027
Daily 10:00-17:30
Horniman Museum & Gardens
Evelyn Taocheng Wang: Being Poetic Ruins Life - FREE!
25/09/2026 - 13/12/2026
Wed-Sun 12:00-18:00
Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art
Becoming America - How Science Shaped a Nation - FREE
23/10/2026 - 25/04/2027
Daily: 10:00-17:00 (Pre-book online)
Science MuseumUrushi Now: Contemporary Japanese Lacquer - FREE
30/04/2026 - 30/04/2027
10:00-17:45
Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A)Zineb Sedira: When Words Fall Silent, Cinema Speaks - FREE
26/05/2026 - 17/01/2027
10:00-18:00
Tate BritainBank of England Museum – What's On (parent listing) - FREE
21/06/2026 - 31/03/2027
Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30). Museum Lates every third Thu until 20:00 (last entry 19:30, booking recommended). Closed Bank Holidays and weekends.
Bank of England MuseumAudrey Amiss: The Surviving Exhibitions - FREE!
10/07/2026 - 07/02/2027
Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00
Wellcome CollectionRudy Loewe: Intimacies of Care - Spaces of Grief and Possibility - FREE!
10/07/2026 - 07/02/2027
Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00
Wellcome CollectionRichard Owen: A Natural Legacy - FREE
24/07/2026 - 04/01/2027
10:00-17:30 - free but book ahead
Natural History MuseumThe Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon - FREE
21/09/2026 - 03/01/2027
10:00-17:45 (Fri 22:00)
Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A)This Is Still Not a Pipe: The Afterlife of Magritte - FREE!
24/09/2026 - 12/12/2026
Tue-Sat 10:00-18:00
Gagosian, Grosvenor HillAfter The Fire: Insurance, Finance & A Rebuilt City - FREE
05/10/2026 - 27/11/2026
Mon-Fri: 10:00-17:00
Bank of England MuseumJustin Caguiat: Change Ringing - FREE!
08/10/2026 - 10/01/2027
Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00
Serpentine Gallery (South)Multiplied wonders: Italian Renaissance woodcuts - FREE
08/10/2026 - 21/03/2027
Daily 10:00-17:00; Fri: 10:00-20:30
British MuseumShonibare and Gainsborough: A Conversation - FREE
15/10/2026 - 07/02/2027
Daily 10:00-18:00; Fri until 21:00
National GalleryKoestler Arts: Rock, Paper, Scissors - FREE
16/10/2026 - 29/11/2026
Tue-Sun: 12:00-20:00
Queen Elizabeth Hall (at Southbank Centre)Forgotten India at 80: The Stories You Don’t Know - FREE
03/11/2026 - 15/11/2026
10:00-17:30
National Army Museum
Frequently asked questions
What can I do for free in London this week?
The list above shows free events on across London right now — exhibitions, music, talks and family activities — updated day by day, with our picks first.
Are London's museums really free?
Yes. The permanent collections of most national museums and galleries — including the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate, V&A, Natural History Museum and Science Museum — are free to enter, though some special exhibitions are ticketed.
Do I need to book free events in advance?
Sometimes. Popular free exhibitions increasingly ask you to reserve a timed slot in advance. Check each listing's booking link before you travel.
How often is this page refreshed?
Continuously, so the free things to do shown are always current for this week in London.